The MCC Library is proud to present the third event of its 2025 MCC Library Cricket Series, Bodyline Casualty - The Bert Oldfield Story.
Acclaimed cricket journalist, commentator, author and presenter, Ken Piesse, will be in conversation with Bert Oldfield’s biographer, Gavin Gleeson for this exclusive event hosted by the MCC Library in collaboration with independent publisher, Ginninderra Press.
MCC members are invited to the MCC Library for an afternoon tea and lively discussion about cricket legend and wartime hero, Bert Oldfield’s extraordinary life. We are also thrilled to host members of Bert's family at the event.
All members and guests will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for sale (EFTPOS only) at a 20% discount.
Ginninderra Press have also extended all members a discount to purchase a copy of the book via their website, by using the promo code MCC25 at the checkout.
Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: MCC Library, Level 3, Members’ Reserve
Cost: $20 members & guests
Dress code: Members’ Reserve Dress Standards
Bookings for this function will open at 9.00am on Thursday September 18, 2025 and will be taken on a first-in, first-served basis. Bookings will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday December 3, 2025 unless sold out prior.
If after booking you find you are unable to attend, please email mccfunctions@mcc.org.au or phone (03) 9657 8888. We’ll do our best, but we cannot guarantee a refund for any cancellation after 5pm, Wednesday December 3, 2025.
Images and video footage captured at the event may be used for promotional purposes. For more information, please visit our privacy policy at mcc.org.au/privacy.
World-record-holding wicket-keeper, Bert Oldfield put everything on the line for his country - on the battlefield and on the cricket field. The sole survivor of a bomb blast in World War One, he later suffered a life-changing skull fracture during the infamous 1932-33 Bodyline Ashes series.
In this gripping biography, Gavin Gleeson uncovers previously unknown details of Oldfield's pivotal role in the Bodyline controversy, including his strained relationship with Donald Bradman, his surprising gesture of kindness toward England captain Douglas Jardine, and his eventual friendship with Harold Larwood - the very man who struck the Bodyline blow.
From imprisonment in an Egyptian dungeon, to working in a venereal disease clinic, and saving a lion from death row, Oldfield's life defied convention. He played almost every Test series between the wars, only to re-enlist in active service throughout World War Two. A successful businessman and devoted family man, the hard knocks Oldfield sustained in sport and war ultimately led to the seizures that beset his later years.
To read more about the book via the publisher’s website, click here.
After working as a spokesman for the Northern Territory Police, he returned to his home state to serve as an NSW Police Officer and child protection case worker.
Gavin has three adult children with his wife Katrina; the couple live on the NSW South Coast. ‘Bodyline Casualty – The Bert Oldfield Story’ is his first book.
Acclaimed cricket journalist, commentator, author and presenter, Ken Piesse, will be in conversation with Bert Oldfield’s biographer, Gavin Gleeson for this exclusive event hosted by the MCC Library in collaboration with independent publisher, Ginninderra Press.
MCC members are invited to the MCC Library for an afternoon tea and lively discussion about cricket legend and wartime hero, Bert Oldfield’s extraordinary life. We are also thrilled to host members of Bert's family at the event.
All members and guests will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for sale (EFTPOS only) at a 20% discount.
Ginninderra Press have also extended all members a discount to purchase a copy of the book via their website, by using the promo code MCC25 at the checkout.
FUNCTION DETAILS
Date: Wednesday December 10, 2025Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: MCC Library, Level 3, Members’ Reserve
Cost: $20 members & guests
Dress code: Members’ Reserve Dress Standards
BOOKING PROCESS
This function is open to members of all categories who may bring 3 guests. There are limited spots available so we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.Bookings for this function will open at 9.00am on Thursday September 18, 2025 and will be taken on a first-in, first-served basis. Bookings will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday December 3, 2025 unless sold out prior.
If after booking you find you are unable to attend, please email mccfunctions@mcc.org.au or phone (03) 9657 8888. We’ll do our best, but we cannot guarantee a refund for any cancellation after 5pm, Wednesday December 3, 2025.
Images and video footage captured at the event may be used for promotional purposes. For more information, please visit our privacy policy at mcc.org.au/privacy.
About the Book
For the first time, Bodyline Casualty - The Bert Oldfield Story reveals the complete story of an Australian cricket legend.World-record-holding wicket-keeper, Bert Oldfield put everything on the line for his country - on the battlefield and on the cricket field. The sole survivor of a bomb blast in World War One, he later suffered a life-changing skull fracture during the infamous 1932-33 Bodyline Ashes series.
In this gripping biography, Gavin Gleeson uncovers previously unknown details of Oldfield's pivotal role in the Bodyline controversy, including his strained relationship with Donald Bradman, his surprising gesture of kindness toward England captain Douglas Jardine, and his eventual friendship with Harold Larwood - the very man who struck the Bodyline blow.
From imprisonment in an Egyptian dungeon, to working in a venereal disease clinic, and saving a lion from death row, Oldfield's life defied convention. He played almost every Test series between the wars, only to re-enlist in active service throughout World War Two. A successful businessman and devoted family man, the hard knocks Oldfield sustained in sport and war ultimately led to the seizures that beset his later years.
To read more about the book via the publisher’s website, click here.
About the Author
Born in Sydney in 1973, Gavin Gleeson attended his first Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground at the age of nine. A cadet radio journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Alice Springs, he went on to become the host of a Territory-wide night program on ABC Darwin in the mid-1990s.After working as a spokesman for the Northern Territory Police, he returned to his home state to serve as an NSW Police Officer and child protection case worker.
Gavin has three adult children with his wife Katrina; the couple live on the NSW South Coast. ‘Bodyline Casualty – The Bert Oldfield Story’ is his first book.